Girl Talk
by kem77
Summary: The morning after Brooke's non-date with Julian, Peyton and Haley stop by for all the juicy details. Slight JB.


Author's note: I am relatively new to fanfiction, and this is my first One Tree Hill fic. Basically, this takes place the morning after 6x14, based loosely on promos for ep 6x15. A scene I would love to see, though know we will not, so I decided to write it myself. I hope you like it. Oh, and I have never written a first person narrative before, so i'm just hoping it's not terrible.

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This is so awkward. Come on Brooke, you need to talk to her about last night.

With a slight shake of my head to end the internal monologue that's been running non-stop since Sam came into the kitchen this morning with only a telling smirk, I force my head up to meet her eyes.

"Sam, I…" I stutter, and then all words fail me. Oh god. Okay, deep breath, focus, this will be fine. It's no big deal.

"I…" can't speak. This can't be happening. You should have just left it alone with the silence, this is so much worse. Come on Brooke, she's waiting for you to say something. Just say something, say anything! Speak!

I watch her mischievous eyes mocking me, her hand coming up to her mouth to stifle her laugh.

There will be no talking about last night, I decide. And why would we anyway? I am Sam's foster mother, and I am not going to discuss my love life, or frustrating lack there of for that matter, with a fifteen year old. And well yes, perhaps last night I got caught up in the moment and temporarily forgot someone else was living here, but no, that's not the point. The point is…

The knock on the door interrupted me from another tangent, and I see Sam turn from the corner of my eye as I glance up to see who's come to the house at 8:30 on a Saturday. I feel my heart start to beat slightly faster, a warm glow overcome my cheeks, a fluttering in my stomach.

Hmm, anticipation or fear Brooke? Oh god, what if it is Julian, I can't see him now. Especially not with Sam here, god knows what's going to come out of her mouth at any given time. If I ever did that to my friends when I was in high school, and I can't believe I would ever do that…

"Come in", I hear Sam call loudly, and I curse myself for getting caught up in my thoughts yet again this morning, steeling myself slightly as I watch the door push in.

'Peyton', the name falls from my lips on a sigh of relief.

Sam turns around quickly at my announcement, smirk firmly in place as she opens her mouth to make some entirely inappropriate, though undoubtedly true comment, but I stop her with a raise of my hand.

I glance up to see Haley has walked in behind Peyton, and both are making their way over to the kitchen with barely contained excitement.

'What's going on?' I question, somewhat cautiously. I recognize this look. No good can come from this look.

'How was the date last night', Peyton all but squeals.

Yep, this was what I was afraid of.

'It wasn't…'

'And what the hell Brooke,' Haley cuts me off. 'Since when do you even like Julian, let alone go on a date with him?' she says in a rush, her hands resting presumably on her hips, though I can't tell for sure from the breakfast bar. Then a sly smile creeps over her face.

'So, how was it?' she asks, her eyebrows wiggling suggestively as her hands come up to slide across the counter towards me.

Both women, my best friends in the world, sit on the edge of their stools, practically leaning over the counter towards me waiting for the juicy details. I glance to my right, and there sits Sam, also watching me, though her expression is noticeably different from my friends. Hers is definitely of the amused at my discomfort persuasion, and I can't help but give her a pointed look, to which she merely shrugs.

I sigh.

'Brooke! Come on, we're dying over here! How was it?'

'I…'

'Let's just say,' Sam starts, as I'm interrupted for the second time this morning, 'that had I not walked in when I did last night, Brooke would need to have that couch cleaned', she says, pointing in the general direction of the sofa.

'Samantha!'

'Brooke!' I hear my two friends exclaim, shock and yet undeniable glee in their voices.

I look between their three faces, knowing my cheeks are burning red at this point. I distractedly raise my hand up in an attempt to hold them off while I try to compose my thoughts and make some attempt at an answer.

The sound of a bar stool scraping across the floor breaks my concentration, and I see Sam has gotten to her feet.

'I'm going to take off, give you guys some time to talk', the slight emphasis on the word talk not going unnoticed by me.

I watch her walk towards the front door, scooping her backpack onto her shoulder as she does. Silently thanking her for not making this conversation any more embarrassing than it already is, I see her pause half out and turn back towards us. Oh god.

'Oh hey, Brooke. Try to make sure you're fully clothed tonight when I come home.' And then she's gone.

My head instinctively falls onto my hands now resting on the counter, and I hear a low groan escape my lips. Damn that child. I am totally going to make her watch fashion tv all day tomorrow for that.

'Haley, did I ever tell you,' I hear Peyton say, 'that bringing Sam to Brooke was one of the smartest things you've ever done.'

'Haha', I mutter sarcastically, raising my head to give them both what I hope is a scathing look. Based on their laughter, I have to assume it didn't come across as intended.

'Look, last night was not a date,' I reason. 'It just, kind of, turned into one,' I finish lamely.

'Yeah, no kidding. I guess he didn't shave before he came over', she states, running her fingers over her own chin before pointing towards my chafed one. Her and Haley giggle some more. I groan defeated.

Haley reaches over and rubs my arm.

'Brooke, seriously, we just came to see how you were doing after last night. You know, the first time you've really been alone with a guy since your attack, and the whole Owen thing, we just wanted to see where you were at. And hopefully, hear all about your hot sexcapades with Julian last night', she finishes with a little glint in her eye.

I smile warmly at my girls, gently squeeze Haley's hand that's still resting on my own.

'Thank you, that's very sweet,' I say sincerely. I hesitate for only the briefest second, and then decide, quite simply, that I need them.

'The truth is I don't know how I am. I don't know what I'm thinking.'

Without realizing I even walked over, I've arrived at my couch and sink down into the soft cushions, followed immediately by their two bodies, resting comfortably beside me.

'Julian is sweet. I didn't see it at first. I only saw the guy who used to be in love with Peyton, who was using Lucas to get to her. But now…' I trail off, thinking about the first night we met. _Do me a favour, stop flirting with my best friend. I think she's jealous._

'Brooke, honey, you only saw that because I saw that. And I was wrong', she says matter of fact. I glance into the blonds eyes, and realize she means it. She smiles softly at me, reassuringly, and I find whatever it is I was needing to continue on.

'I'm in trouble. I really like him. And not in the way I've liked', I emphasize liked to the appropriate connotation, 'boys since I left Tree Hill. I mean yes, I am attracted to him and god, clearly there is chemistry there.' I feel myself flush slightly at the recollection of last nights events. 'I feel there's something more there too but it's all so complicated. We barely know each other, he lives in L.A., we're working together now and of course there's…' I trail off.

'Me', Peyton answers for me. 'Well, our past anyway.'

'And there's that', I confirm.

A silence settles over the room, and I notice Haley looking nervously between the two of us, no doubt not wanting to relive another love triangle.

'Look honey, like I told you yesterday, don't stop whatever it is that's happening between you and Julian on account of me. Julian is a great guy, and there was a time that I was in love with him. But I'm not anymore, and neither is he.'

'I don't know,' I say with a smirk, 'Julian seems like the kind of guy who is in love with himself.'

She laughs lightly at my joke, and I can't help but be amazed at how far we have come since those rocky days of high school. Needing to just do something to acknowledge it, I reach over and give her hand a squeeze, my other hand reaching to lay gently on Haley's leg.

'You know what I mean. So if you're hesitating because of our past, don't.'

She's staring at me so earnestly, I nod my head as I glance off to the distance, thinking for the first time, that maybe this can work.

'And', Haley pipes up on my left, bringing my attention back, 'if you're hesitating because of the other reasons you gave, well that's true of any new relationship. Well, except the working together thing,' she concedes, 'although it's not like that's unheard of. Oh, well and the whole living in L.A. thing…' she trails off, apparently realizing as I have that she has single-handedly refuted her initial argument. She smiles somewhat sheepishly at me, and I can't help but laugh.

Soon, they both join in and before we know it, we are in the middle of a serious giggle fit. I struggle to breathe, my arms waving about haphazardly, which only serves to make them both laugh harder. I begin to wonder just how much longer this can possibly continue without one of us passing out from a lack of oxygen, when a flash of movement brings my attention to the front door.

I stop mid laugh, frozen by his undetected arrival, and feel both bodies tense up beside me, their laughter dying down abruptly.

He stands a few steps inside the doorway, two large coffee cups in hand; white collar sticking up from his blue sweater, a colour I decide looks fantastic on him. My eyes pause briefly on his bemused ones, before taking in the incredibly sexy stubble lining his cheeks, which naturally leads to his delectable mouth still half open in surprise. A mouth quickly turning into a devilish grin. A mouth, I am somewhat surprised to realize, that I want desperately to be kissing. A familiar warmth spreads over my cheeks again as I drag my eyes up to meet his.

'Hi', the word a smokier version of my natural rasp.

I sense Haley and Peyton's eyes watching me, though I can't seem to tear mine from his.

'Hi. I hope I'm not interrupting.'

My god, that grin. _And that, is not gonna get you anywhere. The grin. I'm sure it's gotten you in a lot of doors, and in a lot of beds, but it's not gonna do you any good with me. _Who was I kidding? Of course that grin would get him into my bed, hopefully many, many times.

'No!' Peyton exclaims to my right, breaking his hold over me as I turn to watch her hastily get to her feet.

Following her lead, Haley jumps up too. 'In fact, we were just leaving. Bye Brooke!'

'Um, bye' I call out to their hastily retreating forms, barely on my feet as they pull the door behind them. Clearly, I need to teach them both a lesson in subtlety I think, as I turn to face him once more, smiling myself as I watch him turn back to me chuckling.

'Wow.'

How is it possible for a grin to get me so hot and bothered I wonder, shifting slightly at the sudden awareness.

He walks toward me, extending one cup towards me as he approaches.

'Latte, extra foam.'

I take the cup, my fingers lingering on his.

There's no denying it, I am in deep trouble.


End file.
